ORLANDO, Fla. — The family of reporter Dylan Lyons is suing Spectrum 13′s parent company, Charter Communications, claiming the station’s negligence caused his death.
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Lyons was reporting on a murder in Orlando’s Pine Hills neighborhood when investigators say Keith Moses shot Lyons and photojournalist Jesse Walden. Lyons was fatally shot. Walden survived.
The Lyons’ attorneys, Mark NeJame and Ryan Vescio tell 9 Investigates the station should have warned the crew about the dangers of going to the scene. They claim there was a “conscious disregard” for safety.
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The 13-page complaint claims the station knew or should have known that they sent Lyons to a location where “a known deadly and active shooter remained at large” and was likely a “substantial risk” to Lyons.
The attorneys say Lyons didn’t have a choice to decide whether to go to the scene and report on the killing.
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“When you sign a contract to be a journalist, you don’t sign a contract for a death warrant. And that’s what happened here, we believe,” Mark NeJame told 9 Investigates. He argues journalists could be turned down for a promotion or face being demoted, fired, mocked for declining to report at a scene they deem as dangerous.
NeJame and Vescio say journalists face an increased threat of violence.
Since 2017, at least 321 journalists, including Lyons, have been either shot or shot at, according to data from the Freedom of Press Foundation.
NeJame and Vescio argue the station should have provided proper safety training.
They also say the company should have provided adequate safety equipment or security like bullet proof vests or even security guards.
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“Those that say journalists sign up for this job, reporting on a crime at a crime scene is part of the job. What would you say to that?,” Webb asked.
“Well, police officers sign up to go on crime scenes, but they’re given bulletproof vests. Lots of people sign up for occupations that could be dangerous, but their employers take basic steps to provide safety and security for them. Unfortunately, that doesn’t occur in the media field,” Vescio said.
NeJame and Vescio say there is a industry-wide problem with safety for broadcast journalists.
“It’s run, run, run to get that next story, to get that scoop, to get that headline, to beat the competitor. And when you trip over yourself like that and you forget that your reporters are real people,” NeJame said.
“Is the intent or the hope of this lawsuit to change the broadcast journalism industry?,” Webb asked.
“I will share with you that our first goal is to take care of our clients, which is should always be a lawyer’s first goal,” NeJame said. “But beyond that, we hope that through doing this, other lives are saved. Other journalists can be saved.”
NeJame told 9 Investigates he believes this type of lawsuit on safety is the first of its kind against a media company.
Charter, Spectrum’s parent company, sent a statement to 9 Investigates reading in part:
“Dylan’s murder was an unforeseeable and horrible tragedy. We hope that Keith Moses, who has been charged, will soon be brought to justice for the murder of Dylan and the others that day. With regards to these specific allegations, Dylan was the victim of a senseless act of violence. The claims against Spectrum News are unfounded and we will seek to have them dismissed.”
NeJame also says the firm plans to file a lawsuit next week against Orange County Sheriff’s Office in connection to the murder of T’yonna Major, the child investigators say Keith Moses killed minutes after shooting Lyons.
They claim the Sheriff’s Office should have warned the community, particularly the mother of the child, that there was a shooter at large.
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